A White Scarf
by Tuli-Susi
Summary: Summary: Why does Kai always wear a scarf? What's he concealing? What happens when the others find out? ReiKai. rated for shounen ai content


A/N: It's a little sporadic. Actually, it has no flow what so ever, but I honestly didn't care for this fic enough to change it. I hope you like it. My take on why Kai wears a scarf. (Obviously wrong since we _have_ seen him without a scarf…)

Warning: shounen ai, bad plot, no flow, no real background information. My sick and twisted imagination diluted and placed on paper (in a manner of speaking…)

Summary: Why does Kai always wear a scarf? What's he concealing? What happens when the others find out? ReiKai

Disclaimer: last time I checked Beyblade had **no** pairs…

* * *

**A White Scarf**

Tyson crept up behind an unsuspecting Kai. Usually he would notice, but with so many people milling around, talking laughing, he had to be slightly out of it. Kai rubbed his temples. Yep, he had a headache. Which meant that he wouldn't notice until it was too late. Good thing he was facing the wall.

Everyone else watched in amusement as Tyson crept nearer. They all knew what was happening, but they kept their conversations going so Kai wouldn't suspect anything. It was probably a good thing that Kai had been slightly out of it recently…otherwise the beyblading enigma would probably have noticed something was up. One could almost taste the anticipation in the air.

Tyson was right behind Kai now. And still the two-toned bluenette didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Talking on his cell phone probably helped the distraction too. Kai hung up. Tyson lunged.

* * *

The scarf was neatly cut and Tyson ripped it away quickly. Kai immediately swung round. Silence descended. Crimson eyes grew wide with horror and a pale hand moved quickly to cover a not-so pale throat. But it was too late. The slender blader raced away, out of the dojo, off the property and away into the night. No-one followed. They had all been rooted to the spot in surprise.

"No…"

"It can't be…"

"I don't believe it…"

"So that's why-"

"I always wondered-"

"But how did-"

"It looked like-"

The whispers started. No-one could make sense of what happened. Many couldn't trust their eyes. There was only one reason that everyone in the room even acknowledged what they had seen. There were too many witnesses who had all seen the exact same thing.

Now they knew why Kai wore a scarf around his neck…at all times.

* * *

Kai ran.

He didn't know where he was going. And he couldn't care. He had to run. He had to get away. Now they had seen. Now they knew. Now they understood.

And he couldn't hide anymore

* * *

Rei ran up to Tyson and wrenched the scarf from his nerveless fingers. The midnight-haired blader was still frozen in shock. And he definitely wasn't alone. It seemed Rei was the only one capable of movement.

"Rei! Where are you going!" Or not. Rei turned to the pink-haired girl who had called.

"To find Kai, Mariah. He needs help. Someone to talk to, to confide in. Now that…this… is out in the open. He needs to explain."

"What if he pushes you away? He always has done in the past!" a valid point. It hurt, but it was true.

"He won't. Kai's smart. He knows when to give in." Tyson snapped out of his trance.

"You're right Rei. Let's go."

"It's easier if it's one-one-one. Kai would be more comfortable."

"Of course. Forgot about that…okay then…let's split up. We don't even know where he is so it'll be faster anyway."

"Tyson…no offence…but I'm pretty much the only one person Kai can tolerate. You'll just end up pushing him away even more."

"What?!?!" Robert stepped forward.

"He has a good point Tyson." The German turned towards Rei. "Go alone. I'm certain he'll talk to you. Just tell him…we're worried…nothing more. Good luck." Rei looked at the outstretched hand for a moment, then shook it. Robert smiled. "Now go, he's getting further away as we speak!"

Rei smiled back at the purple-haired blader, nodded to the rest, then raced off into the darkness. Following a teen who was surrounded by more mysteries than the night sky.

* * *

Kai collapsed. He could run no more.

* * *

"Kai!"

Rei raced through the woods, the remains of a tattered white scarf in his hands. His bright eyes tried desperately to pierce the darkness. Giving up on sight, the neko-jin trusted to his sharp hearing. His ears pricked up at the faint sounds of heavy breathing in the distant. The raven-haired blader began to trudge towards it, calming his breathing as he walked.

* * *

Kai sat with his back to a giant tree. The largest in the forest in fact. He was hugging his curled up legs to his chest while his chin was resting on his knees. Kai didn't know what to do next. Now that his secret was out in the open, where would he go? He couldn't go back to Russia…the Demolition Boys had disbanded. Each teen had had similar thoughts. To stay together was to remember, and none of them wanted to do more than forget.

Kai raised his head suddenly. He had heard someone coming closer. The steps were soft and quiet. He only knew eight people who could walk like that. Four weren't on this continent and three hated him. So that left

"…Rei…what do you want?"

* * *

"…Rei…what do you want?"

Said blader winced at the harshness in the other's voice, but he did not back down. The amber-eyed teen continued to walk towards the small figure huddled up at the base of the tree. The small boy tried to shift away, but the neko-jin was too fast.

Kai looked up into pools of amber and saw nothing but sorrow, concern, worry and…something he couldn't quite place. But he did not see pity, fear or hatred. And that was good enough for him.

"R-Rei…" Kai stuttered. Then he realised he didn't know what to say so he shut his mouth and looked away.

Rei gazed down sadly. He hadn't realised how small Kai really was. The aura of intimidation apparently kept people at such a distance no-one would see his real height.

"It's okay Kai," he whispered. "Let it out."

Kai didn't even question how Rei knew, he just complied. All the years of suffering and bottled emotions were gone. The lessons on hiding his feeling were forgotten. For the first time in nine years, Kai Hiwatari cried.

Rei could do nothing but place a comforting hand on the dual-haired bladers back as he sobbed into his arms, face still hidden from the World.

* * *

Rei waited until Kai had calmed down somewhat before posing a very delicate question. He knew that Kai wasn't too fond of beating around the bush so he asked outright. Inwardly he was cringing, waiting for the sting of rejection.

"Kai…that…that mark…"

"You don't want to know."

"I need to know."

"You won't be able to handle the truth." Crimson eyes were cast downwards. "You'll hate me."

"Kai! Have more faith in me than that! I could _never_ hate you!"

"Fine…that mark…it was made by a knife."

"A knife!"

"And…it was self inflicted."

"Kai…"

"I told you that you didn't want the truth."

"Why, Kai. Why did you do it?"

The bluenette stared at the ground, refusing to look into the amber orbs. Rei gazed at him sadly. The once tall and proud teenager was no more than a broken young boy. He started to feel tears prick the back of his eyes.

"Because…because…BECAUSE I COULDN'T STAND IT ANY MORE!" Kai dropped to his hands and knees. "I wanted out." Rei had to lean down to hear Kai's almost silent whisper. "I wanted out, to be free. My bit-beast is a bird; I'm often told that I am like her. I too wanted to stretch my wings. Instead…my wings were clipped; my beak and claws were sharpened. They stuck me in a cage with a collar around my neck. And I was sick of it. So I tried to escape. They caught me…they saved me…and they punished me. They told me that I would be continuously punished…but they would never let me die."

"I told you that you would hate me if you knew the truth" Kai's voice was lower than a whisper. He sounded hoarse and broken. And exhausted.

Tears were running freely down the faces of both boys. One was too far gone in his mind to care. The other was too appalled to notice. Rei knelt next to the shivering form and slipped his tan fingers under a pale chin, forcing Kai to meet his eyes.

"Do you know Kai, when I left the dojo, Robert wanted me to give you a message. It's from everyone. They were – still are – worried. Nothing more." Kai blinked in disbelief. "It's true Kai. We don't care what happened in the past, we just want you to be okay _now_." Kai just shook his head. "There's another reason you cover it…isn't there."

The two boys stared into each others eyes. Amber locked with crimson. Kai broke away first, averting his gaze to the ground off to the side. Once again, Rei had to lean in to hear his near silent reply.

"Because it's a constant reminder. I don't hide it away from others so much as myself. I hate to expose this mark to the air…like it is right now."

Rei reached behind him and pulled his ponytail into his hand. Kai didn't notice. Rei swiftly untied the knot at the end and drew off the wrap. He separated his hair into two parts, one in each hand. Reaching forward, he encircled Kai's neck with his arms. Ignoring the shocked look Kai was giving him, he wrapped his long tresses around Kai's neck, effectively covering the scars.

Rei pulled the slender bluenette closer. Kai buried his face in Rei's chest as the raven-haired teen held him gently. The two boys did not move for a long time. They did not speak nor did they make any noise. It was not needed.

In the silence, two promises were made.

* * *

A/N: No offence to TyKa fans (friendship or romance) but I seriously can't see Kai telling Tyson anything as meaningful and deep as why he has a scar on his neck. Or anything about his past in general. And Kai obviously tolerates Rei…I mean…they did share a room in the hotels! …besides…this IS a KaRe fic…

I don't know if anyone else has noticed but…think about the abbey as portrayed in the anime – not going into the manga since I never saw/read it – we saw bladers training harshly…we saw them take that one boy away…but did we have any proof that they physically abused those boys? Mental manipulation goes without saying… But seriously, is it just me or has anyone else noticed that torture – corporal punishment – is pretty much a given when talking about the abbey. I'm not complaining, heck, I do it too, I just found it curious. Does _everyone_ believe without a shadow of a doubt that they whipped/beat the boys?


End file.
